Grays Athletic 1 (0) - (1) 2 ROMFORD Attendance 219 - Ship Lane

They made a tentative start at Aveley's impressive new stadium and although Grays made all the early running the visitors' goal was only really threatened on a couple of occasions when a goalbound header was cleared off the line and another went wide after a Grays attacker soared above everyone else in the area. Boro settled into the match and Jonathan Nzengo and Ayo Olukoga both tested the Grays custodian with fierce drives after good runs through the home defence. Newcomer Jay Knight was beginning to strike up an understanding with his fellow forwards, and when after twenty one minutes the hardworking Chris Taylor headed on to put Knight clean through, he kept his cool to clip the ball home past the advancing keeper. Grays came closest to replying five minutes later when Stephen Reynolds had to make a good save but from then on Boro were visibly growing in confidence as they took their lead into the interval.

Grays would have wanted to make a fast start to the second period but they were shocked after only two minutes when Boro doubled their lead. Olukoga set Hary Daly free down the right with a good long ball and despite challenges he kept control of the ball before getting in a low cross to Taylor who knowing Knight was in a better position, cleverly dummied to let the ball run through to his fellow striker. Knight had his back to goal and still had plenty to do, but he swivelled one way then the other before turning and firing into the right hand corner. Boro would now be looking to consolidate but instead they were pegged back after only another four minutes had elapsed. Danny Cossington looked like he was going to be first to the ball where the halfway line met the touchline but he seemed to receive a push that allowed his opponent to play the ball down the right where it was pulled back for veteran Glenn Poole to shoot home from just inside the area.

The hosts now had their tails up and Romford had to defend very deep for a while but survived through a superb save by Reynolds and a very bad miss by a Grays forward. They still looked very dangerous on the break though, fashioning some swift attacking moves and Knight was denied a debut hat trick by the Grays keeper diving full length to tip his shot just around the post. Boro supporters had to endure one very late scare as Reynolds was forced to make a brilliant block in the closing seconds, but were then able to cheer the final whistle and again when news filtered through of Cheshunt's defeat which meant that their team were no longer bottom of the pile.

Grays Athletic (0) 1 Poole 51,
ROMFORD (1) 2 JAY KNIGHT 21, 47

ROMFORD: Stephen Reynolds, Ayo Olukoga, Sam Mvemba, Danny Cossington, Michael Finneran (c), Billy Coyne, James Ishmail, Jonathan Nzengo, Chris Taylor, Jay Knight, Harry Daly
Unused Subs: Hugo Atkinson, Teddy Perkins, Kai Bichard, Nick Reynolds, Taylor Tombides,

Yellow Cards: Ayo Olukoga 37, Danny Cossington 39

Match Report By Phil Redwin